Empire of Dirt
by The Real Damien Thorn
Summary: Pip prays for a guardian angel; with his luck, he should have expected something like this to happen. Dip.
1. Chapter 1

As soon as the loud, shrill bell rung, telling the students of Middle Park High School that it was finally time to go home, Pip collected his torn backpack and ran for the school gates. Maybe today he'd get lucky and he'd be able to get to the bus before anyone had a chance to intercept him.

Pip had never been lucky. "Well, if it isn't the freak…" The blond recognized that voice. He didn't bother turning his head to see who it was before responding.

"Oh, hello, Mason." Mason was six-foot-something, built like a train, and _ginger_. Not that anyone mentioned the last fact. Compared to Pip's five-foot-eight height and smaller build, Mason was a testosterone-filled bull who didn't take crap from anyone. However, he sure liked to dish it out to others, especially Pip.

"Are you taking the bus today?" That's how it always started. Mason would ask him a question that appeared as if he and Pip were good friends.

"Well, yes, I take the bus everyday. Why would today be any different?" Pip shifted his backpack's one remaining strap on his shoulder, not daring to stare his bully in the eyes. Mason scowled.

"You talk too much," he said, and there was a chuckle from the side of him, notifying Pip that Mason had brought his friends with him. That was never a good thing; it only amplified Mason's harassment. "Anyway, today _is_ going to be different, do you know why?"

"Why?" Pip squeaked out, barely a whisper. He couldn't miss the bus, his sister would kill him if he came home late again!

"Because you're not riding the bus today," Mason said, sealing away Pip's fate. The anxious look on Pip's face was made clear to him after seeing Mason's large smile grow wider. The ginger suddenly glanced around before leaning close to Pip's ear, pushing aside a long lock of blond hair so he could whisper. "If you even think of getting on that bus, I'm getting off with you at your stop and beating the shit out of you." He pulled away, slugging the smaller boy's shoulder as if he'd told him a funny story. "Better start walking, pal!"

And so he did. Because what _else_ was he supposed to do? If he took the bus, he'd be reduced to a bloody mess on the side of the road, and, because Mason liked to drag on the beatings, he'd still be late getting home, and his sister would be angry with him too. He wasn't looking for two beatings in one day.

As he shuffled his way down the chilly streets leading back into South Park, he prayed that maybe his sister wouldn't be home. Maybe she'd be out shopping and wouldn't notice his late arrival. He could be lucky just once, couldn't he?

The answer was no; as soon as he stepped inside the house and pulled his oversized sweater over his head, his sister was at his throat, snarling like a rabid dog.

"Just _where_ have you been?" she barked in his ear. He looked down, folding his sweater into little squares. "I saw the other kids walking by a half hour ago and you weren't with them! Why is that, Pip? Are you staying after school to smoke with your friends? Do you want the child services to come and take you away from me and Joe? Is that it? Because one call from a nosy neighbor is all it'll take!"

"No, I don't want to be taken away, Mrs. Joe!" he cried out as she grabbed a hold of his ear and pinched it hard. "I just missed the bus, is all, I swear it won't happen again!"

"Oh, is that your excuse this time?" she screeched loudly, anger boiling up inside her. "You were late coming home last week, too! And what was your excuse then, Pip?" She grabbed a long of his hair and tugged when he didn't answer. "What was it?!"

"My teacher asked to see me after class, Mrs. Joe!" That one had been a lie. He'd been kept for half an hour at his bus stop when Mason had decided to see how many times he could push Pip into the snow before the Brit grew too tired to pull himself back up.

"You'd like to be taken away from me, wouldn't you? You think I'm a bitch!"

"No, Mrs. Joe, I don't want to be taken away!" _Wham!_ His vision flashed white and a moment later he felt the stinging from where she'd slapped him. His eyes slowly came back into focus and her scowling face came back into view while she screamed.

"Oh, but you think I'm a bitch!"

"No…Mrs. Joe." He clutched his cheek, tears threatening to spill from his eyes as they watered.

"Get to your room! I don't want to see you the rest of the night, you understand?"

"Yes, Mrs. Joe." He quickly walked up the stairs to his room – lest he be yelled at for running in the house. He quietly opened and shut his door and plopped down onto his small mattress. He'd had the same bed since he was a child, his sister never bothering to buy him an adult-sized one, and his feet hung off of it as he lie there rubbing his sore cheek and wiping his eyes.

After a few minutes he sat up and took a deep breath. Joe would be home off work soon, and Pip would rather not worry the good man with his crying. Pip liked to think that Joe was the best thing his sister had ever done in her life – not that she exactly deserved the man. But Joe was extremely nice, worked tremendously hard to afford their small home, and never failed to see the bright side in all situations.

Joe was the only person who had ever been nice to Pip, even calling him his real name, Phillip, when his sister wasn't around. The older man could always manage to bring a smile to Pip's face, even on the most ruthless of days. But that didn't mean that Pip wanted the kind father-figure to constantly worry about him, so lately Pip had been pretending that things were better than they really were. That was his personality, worrying about others' feelings even when he was literally suffering.

Pip stood from his bed and glanced at himself in his old full-length mirror. Well, full-length for a child, he supposed. While he wasn't particularly tall, he still had to bend to look at his face; he winced as he noticed a nasty bruise was already beginning to form. Sighing, he grabbed some pajamas from his drawer and crossed the hall to the bathroom, being careful to make as little noise as possible. He could hear his sister slamming things around downstairs, muttering to herself.

He locked the bathroom door and stripped himself of his clothing, setting them into the hamper. He turned the shower on and looked at his face in the mirror while he waited for the water to get hot. "What a mess," he muttered to himself. Running home had made him sweat, and his hair clung to his face in several places. He pushed it back, analyzing the purple mark now adorning his face. Joe would be very saddened if he were to see it, but Pip wasn't planning on that happening.

He stepped into the shower and began washing himself in the still-cold water. The water-heater must be out again. He shampooed and conditioned his hair and then washed his face gingerly before stepping out, wrapping a towel around his waist. He silently opened the drawer that held his sister's makeup and quickly found her liquid concealer.

"Damn, she's almost out," he whispered, wondering if it would be too noticeable if he used some. In the end, he shrugged and dabbed a little onto his finger and started applying it over his sore cheek. The tone didn't exactly match his own skin, but it was close enough. Pleased with his work, he returned the makeup to its drawer and pulled on his pajamas, hanging the towel up to dry and walking back to his room.

He combed his hair before sitting at his desk to begin his homework. His outstanding grades were the only thing he had to be proud of, and to be frank, they were his only hope to get out of this town. If he had a high enough GPA, he could get accepted into college, maybe get a scholarship. Then he could get a well-paying job and leave this town, only coming back to visit Joe from time to time.

He heard the front door open downstairs, and the unmistakable sounds of Joe's boots thudding on the wood floors. Not a second later did the shrill voice of his sister start up, complaining about the housework, the bills, and Pip. A short pause after the barrage of complaints, and then Joe's sympathetic voice, effectively quieting the woman.

Pip continued to work on his homework throughout dinner, knowing that he wouldn't get any tonight anyway, even if Mrs. Joe was in a better mood now. About an hour later, he finally heard Joe's footsteps coming up the stairs.

"'Ello there, Phillip!" he greeted from the doorway, quietly enough so that his wife wouldn't hear him. "Rough day, I heard?"

Pip waved his hand to dismiss it, smiling gently. "Oh, no, it hasn't been too bad."

"Can I come in?" Joe asked, and entered when Pip nodded. "Mrs. Joe seems to be in a crazy mood, don't you think?"

The blond teen sighed. "So she told you I was late again?"

"Hey, now, don't look so glum, friend." Joe put a hand on his shoulder. "She just gets worried, y'know? She doesn't mean to…well, you know…"

"Yes. I'm quite alright, though, Joe."

"School was alright, yeah?" The older man changed the subject, understanding that Pip didn't want to talk about his sister.

"It was." Pip forced a smile, trying not to remember why he'd been late home in the first place. "I'm doing very well in all of my classes."

"Ey, now, that's my boy!" Joe exclaimed proudly, ruffling Pip's hair with a grin. "You're going to do good things, Phillip." The young blond felt a surge of pride flow through him at Joe's words. He knew that the man was being sincere, and that he truly was proud of Pip, and it made the boy feel like he really _could_ do something good. It was moments like these that helped him hold on for just one more day; being treated like he was an actual person and not just someone's punching bag.

"Thanks, Joe," he said, wiping away tears that had started spilling. He gasped quietly as he noticed makeup on his hand. Joe let out a long breath as he noticed the now-exposed bruise on Pip's cheek. "I'm alright, Joe, really. It doesn't hurt."

"Oh, Phillip." And there it was. The heart-broken look in the older man's eyes whenever he discovered what his wife had done. There was a long awkward pause, neither really knowing what to say. Then, Joe gave a small, sad smile. "Hey, your guardian angel must've been a bit busy today, huh? Have you prayed recently. I've found that it helps me quite a lot."

"I've not really prayed in a while," Pip admitted. Not that it ever worked anyway.

"Ah, well there you go! Your guardian angel must've lost you, then! Pray tonight, Phillip, so they can find you again, hm? Will you do that for me?"

"Of course, Joe." Pip smiled, happy to do anything the man told him to do if it would make him less worried. "I'm sure that'll do the trick just fine."

"Alright, then, my dear friend!" Joe pulled him into a hug before standing. "Take care of that bruise, now, and remember to pray. I'm going downstairs to help your sister with the dishes."

"Goodnight, Joe. I…"

"Goodnight, Phillip." Joe smiled warmly as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Pip sighed quietly before getting on his knees beside his mattress. Prayers had never worked for him before – he'd long since stopped believing that any higher power cared for him. However, Joe had asked him to pray tonight, and he'd be damned if he broke a promise to the only man who'd ever treated him like an actual human being.

"Please, if there's anybody listening, I could really use some help," he began, closing his eyes. He remembered what Joe had said about his guardian angel being lost. "If someone's out there looking after me, you must be quite lost. Well, I'm just letting you know that I'm right here, where I've always been. Please, come and help me. I just want others to treat me with the same respect they give everyone else. I'm so lonely, if you could help me find just one friend, one who truly cares about me, I'd appreciate it. Joe's nice, but he's got so much to worry about. I don't want him to worry anymore."

He opened his eyes, looking out his window and staring at the moon as if it were listening. He shook his head, standing and beginning his nightly routine. He seriously doubted that anyone was truly listening, but he supposed that it did feel nice to speak what was on his mind, even if it were only to the moon.

Little did he know, however, that someone was listening, and had been for a long time. That someone knew that know was the time to finally act upon the blond's requests, as was part of the plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Damien sighed loudly, crossing his arms as one of his father's advisors rattled on about something or another.

"Damien, are you listening?" the demon growled. "This is your one chance to go up to Earth unsupervised, and-"

"Wait," Damien interrupted, sitting up at the table he and the demon were sitting up. "Unsupervised?" Now he was interested.

"Well, yes," the advisor faltered slightly, before shaking his head. "But not entirely. We'll be watching you from down here, mind you. Now, were you listening or do I have to explain everything again?"

"No one ever listens to your mumblings," Damien said offhandedly. The demon snarled.

"You're going up to Earth to check on some things, which we'll go further into detail with later," he growled. "We've finally found a place for you to stay where you will be safe and easy to keep an eye on. There's a catch, though."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Damien asked, not really caring about anything other than the fact that he was finally going to be able to visit Earth without his father or some other demon to get in his way.

"You have to act the part of a guardian angel," the demon smirked. Damien slammed his fists on the table at the news, standing up and pointing a finger at the other.

"What?! Oh, hell no am I going to watch over some brat-"

"Damien, that's enough!" Satan's loud voice boomed through the room as he entered. "Sit down!" The Antichrist glared at his father for a few moments before doing as he was told, huffing and crossing his arms. "There's important work for you to do while you're up there, the guardian angel act is only serving as your disguise."

"Why can't I just stay up in an abandoned house or something-"

"That would be too suspicious," Satan answered, standing before the table. "And we've already enchanted the house you'll be staying at. The angels won't be able to detect your presence there."

Damien's eyebrows raised. "Angels?"

Satan's advisor sighed loudly, letting Damien know that he'd already explained this once before. "Yes, you _ignorant brat_ , your duty is to keep an eye out for angels while you're up there. We've received word that they're planning something that could mean bad news for us."

"If you detect any, you're to tell one of us immediately so we can take care of it," Satan boomed. "Don't try to handle it on your own, son. This is bigger than you."

"Yeah, okay, fine," the noiret growled. "So, when do I leave?"

The demon and Satan looked at each other. "Tonight."

Xxx

"Do you remember how to contact me?" Satan asked as they stood at the gates of Hell. "You remember the chant, right? Have you been practicing your circles? Are you-"

" _Dad_ , cut it out, I'll be fine by myself." Damien shoved away from his father, who was looming over him with tears in his eyes. "Oh, don't you dare cry, that's so embarrassing."

"My little boy's never been off on his own before!" Satan defended, catching Damien's arm and pulling him back into a bone-crushing hug. "I'm allowed to get a little emotional."

"My Dark Lord," the advisor intervened, sighing. "He really must be going now, the portal to the Earth Realm won't be open much longer." Damien would've given the demon a grateful look, but he knew that he was just happy that he wasn't going to have to see Damien for a while. They both got on each other's nerves tremendously.

"Alright, alright," Satan sniffed, releasing his son. "Remember, Damien, it's important that you remain undetected. This kid's going to think that you're his guardian angel – making sure he keeps believing that is your first priority. Second to that alone, your job is to keep your eye out for angels and to report back to us. If you can, try to figure out what it is they're planning, but _only_ if it's safe to do so."

"You're going to rule this Earth one day, Antichrist," the advisor spoke. "Don't let yourself be killed this early on; angels are stronger than you think they would be. Be cautious."

"Alright, I get it already! I don't need to be lectured. Can I go already?"

"Very well. Step through the portal; it will take you directly outside the house you'll be staying at. Make sure the boy knows you're his angel-"

"I know, I know, goodbye!" And with that, Damien turned away from the two and walked through the swirling vortex before him. Two things happened then: One, fire seemed to engulf him, and while it wasn't painful, he felt the heat through his bones, and it was extremely uncomfortable. He felt like he was going to be sick, but before that could happen, the second thing happened – he fainted.

It felt as if he were asleep for hours, no, days. He didn't dream, the only thing his mind produced was pitch black darkness. He felt the heat slowly fading away, however, and a chill began spreading through him slowly. When he finally awoke, he was surprised and slightly curious to see bright white all around him. It was freezing here. He lifted his head, wet hair sticking to his forehead. "The hell?"

Snow. He was buried in it. Pushing himself up, he wondered how long he'd been laying there. His clothes were soaked with melted snow, so he figured it must've been quite a while. It was still dark, though, so it couldn't have been much longer than a few hours. He stood up on wobbly legs, totally exhausted. He'd forgotten how much it took out of someone to transport between realms. Shaking his head to clear the snow off of him, he glanced up at the house he'd landed behind and scowled.

The place was unbelievably run down and in horrible shape. All of the shutters on the outside of the house were broken, the roof was missing shingles, and it was in desperate need of a paint job. The only upside he could think of was that at least the kid wouldn't be some spoiled brat. This might actually be pretty easy. His father's advisor had told him the window he would need to climb through, and he spotted it on the second floor, a large crack running through it just as the demon had described.

Deciding it would be best to acquaint himself with the boy as soon as possible, and because he was freezing, he walked toward the house, placing his hands onto the side of it and effortlessly pulling himself up a few feet. Then his knees met the peeling surface and he crawled up the house as easily as if he were crawling on the floor. He came to the window and peeked inside. He was confused to see long blond hair spread out over a pillow. Wrong window?

Another glance proved that no, this was the right window. The room was neat, but it obviously belonged to a boy. Not wanting to waste any more time, he put his hands on the bottom of the window and pushed it up, thanking whatever power he was meant to thank that it was unlocked. Carefully, he slipped through, stepping down onto the carpeted floor and staring at his new roommate. He walked around the bed to get a better look at his face and gasped quietly. It was definitely a boy, but what was more, it was a boy he _knew_.

"Pip?" he whispered, and the blond's eyes shot open, blue like a robin's egg. "Of course they would send me to the shit hole of South Par-" He was cut off by a shrill scream coming from the bed.

"What are you doing in my room?! Joe! Sister! Help me!" Pip yelled, scrambling up and falling onto the floor in terror. Across the hallway, Damien could hear bed sheets rustling and heavy footsteps.

"Hey, don't scream, it's okay, I'm-" Damien was once again cut off as a lamp was thrown, striking him across the face. He cursed, hearing the footsteps approaching fast. He couldn't be caught.

Thinking quickly, he ran toward the window, past Pip, and jumped out of it just as the blond's bedroom door slammed open. Just before he slipped out of the window, however, he caught Pip's eyes, and he didn't miss the look of recognition that flashed over the blue-eyed gaze.

"Phillip! What's going on?"

"What the hell are you screaming about?"

Damien listened to the two voices from outside the window, back pressed against the side of the house. There was a long moment of silence before he heard Pip quietly answer that it was only a bad dream. A woman's voice shouted for quite a long time and then he heard a door slam. Damien remained outside the window, heart racing. After a long moment, he saw Pip's head peek outside the window, and the blond screamed again when he spotted Damien against the wall as if he were lying on it.

"D-Damien?"

"So you do remember me," the raven said, turning his head to look at Pip. "May I come in?"

"Why are you here?" Pip shook his head, disbelief plain on his face.

"You asked for a guardian angel; here I am." Damien pushed past Pip and into the room.

"But…but you're not an angel!" he whispered harshly. Damien rolled his eyes, taking in Pip's room and wondering how he was going to manage living here for however long he was supposed to stay. He finally turned to stare at Pip.

"You didn't pray to God, so don't expect one of his angels to come for you," Damien said. "If you'd prayed to God like you're supposed to, my father's advisor wouldn't have been able to hear you."

The Brit before him looked as if he were at a total loss for words, so Damien continued.

"Your prayers weren't directed to anyone, so he was able to pick them up. Don't look at me like that," Damien growled, taking in Pip's disgusted expression. " _I'm_ your guardian angel now, you _asked_ for me."

"I didn't ask for _you_!" Pip yelled, then remembered how late at night it was. He lowered his voice. "I wanted an angel to watch over me, someone who would actively help me to make my life better. Not a demon spawn who's only ever caused me pain."

"Well, that's rude."

"I haven't forgotten about what you did to me all those years ago, Damien." Pip turned away, sighing deeply as if he were trying to control his anger. Damien hadn't known the docile Brit could even show that emotion. It piqued his interest.

"Pip." He walked closer to the boy so that he was directly behind him. "I'm your guardian angel now, I'm here to help. Kind of against my will, but it's my job now." He was only saying these things because he knew he had to gain Pip's trust somehow. If the Pirrup boy refused to let him stay, he'd have to go back down to Hell…and he certainly didn't want that. It'd taken this long for him to be allowed to come up here by himself, he didn't want his father or the other demons to think he was incapable of completing one task on his own.

"Damien, I'm a very forgiving person," Pip said, giving the antichrist hope. "But I'm sorry, I don't think I can ever forgive you for what you did to me back then."

"Oh, come on, that was years ago!" Damien growled; Pip turned around, glaring himself. The demon spawn closed his eyes, trying to think of what to do. "Okay. How can I make it up to you?" He opened his eyes, only to see that Pip had turned away again and was climbing into bed.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but you can start by getting out of my room," he said softly, sleep evident in his voice. "I'm too tired to deal with this, Damien, I have enough problems without you adding to them."

"What if I helped you with some of your problems?"

"I'm going to sleep, Damien, I don't want to talk about this anymore." Pip pulled the covers over himself, his voice softening just a bit. "I will allow you to stay here tonight, since I assume you've got nowhere to go, but when I come back from school tomorrow, you had better be gone."

"Well, fuck you, too." Damien furrowed his brows, glaring at the back of Pip's head for a half-minute before turning away and looking for a spot to sleep. He spotted Pip's clothes hamper and overturned it, spilling out the clothes and making them into a sort of bed for himself. He lay down, curling up and pulling a sweater over himself. His own clothes were still soaking wet, and there appeared to be no heating in this house. He shivered, and his teeth began to chatter as the coldness set in now that he wasn't moving.

On the bed, Pip stirred for a few minutes, eventually sighing and sitting up. "Damien."

"What," the boy hissed, his voice cracking slightly from the cold.

"Why are you wet?"

"Oh, I don't know, I just woke up buried in ten inches of snow because some picky Brit wanted an angel!" Damien burrowed underneath Pip's clothes, trying his best to warm up. This was miserable. He heard a long sigh come from the bed.

"Well, I'm sorry for your trouble. If it makes you feel better, I don't even want a guardian angel anymore…" His voice was almost a whisper, and Damien had to strain to hear him. "I should've expected that I'd get stuck with the short end of the stick in this matter as well. God has abandoned me, it seems. I've made up my mind and have decided that I'm just going to give up."

Damien sat up, clothes falling off him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not strong enough to keep going on like this everyday, Damien." Pip swallowed and took a shaky breath. "I'm really not." He glanced at Damien, watering blue eyes meeting his own black ones. "Now take those clothes off, you'll catch a cold. Um, you can sleep in my bed tonight, I suppose. But just promise that you'll be gone in the morning."

Damien didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think about this situation, or how to act in a situation like this. His normal confident self had gone, and now he just awkwardly did as he was told, removing his clothing save for his boxers, dropping the wet clothes on top of his make-shift bedding. He crawled into Pip's bed, careful not to get too close to the boy. Pip threw some of his blanket over the raven, which Damien took gratefully, curling up underneath the warmth. "I can't promise that I'll be gone in the morning," he said, earning a huff from Pip. "I'm your guardian angel now, whether you like it or not, and I've got other duties up on this Earth, so I'm stuck here." Pip turned around in the bed so he could give the Antichrist a distrustful look. "Look, either you let me stay in your home and help you, or you kick me out and I sleep in a box outside while you end your miserable life."

The Brit closed his eyes, sighing angrily. "We'll talk about this in the morning, Damien, I'm just too tired right now."

That was fine by him. Damien rolled over, facing away from Pip, already knowing that the other boy wouldn't have the heart to throw him out on the streets. It looked like this would be him home for the time being.


	3. Chapter 3

Pip woke up to his blaring alarm, rolling over and swinging an arm out to shut off his alarm. Instead of hitting the archaic object, his arm hit something hard with a dull thud. Immediately, Damien sat up beside him, yelling out and holding his face in his hands.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Damien hissed, turning his head to glare at the Brit, black eyes flashing red. Pip sighed. He'd thought the whole thing had been a dream last night, but proof that it wasn't, and that it was in fact real, was still cursing beside him.

"I'm sorry, Damien, I'm not used to having someone else in bed with me," he apologized, leaning over the antichrist and turning his alarm off before his sister came up to complain. He looked down at Damien, who was still rubbing his face where he'd been hit. "Damien."

His supposed guardian angel scowled, looking at him. "What."

"I need to get ready for school, and you need to find somewhere else to go," Pip said, scooting down to the end of the bed and standing up, heading to his dresser to find clothes to wear. He heard Damien shift in the bed behind him.

"I can't leave," the antichrist clipped. "Whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me."

"I didn't ask for you," Pip said quietly, pulling out his outfit for the day. "I asked for someone who could help me. How can I be helped by someone who's caused such a traumatic experience for me in the first place?" He walked to the door without looking at the other boy in the room, opening it a crack and peering out to make sure no one was in the hallway. "I'm going to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I want you gone by the time I get back."

He shut the door behind him, walking down the hall to the bathroom and turning on the shower. He waited for the water to heat up a bit, though he knew it wouldn't get as warm as he'd like it. Sucking it up, he stripped his pajamas off and stepped in, shivering at the ice cold water that attacked him. He quickly washed his hair and body, rinsing and shutting the water off as he desperately reached for a towel. It didn't bring him much warmth but it was better than nothing. He quickly dressed, thinking about how he would avoid his bullies today. He could leave a bit earlier and just run to school so he wouldn't have to deal with the bus.

Nodding, he walked back to his room, opening the door and growing frustrated at the sight of Damien still sitting up in his bed. "Damien, I thought I-"

"Who hits you?" the antichrist asked, not really appearing interested. Probably his way of changing the subject. "I know you get bullied."

Pip rubbed his temples, just wanting Damien gone. "It's never been a secret," he said. "You were one of them, after all. And all I'd ever done was try to be your friend." Damien sighed loudly, falling back onto the bed and closing his eyes.

"You're still stuck on that?" he groaned. "That was just some stupid prank I did to get into that fat ass kid's birthday party."

Pip fumed, staring at the teen in his bed. "Damien, I want to show you something." The Devil spawn opened his eyes, looking toward Pip. The blond removed his jacket, setting it on the dresser before pulling his shirt over his head.

"Um," he heard Damien begin, and then a quiet gasp as his shirt came off, revealing the scars that the 'prank' had left behind. They covered parts of his torso and back, faded but still visible. He hated them; they only served as a reminder of how the first person he'd considered a friend had stabbed him in the back. "Pip-"

"This is what you did to me," the blond clipped, pulling his shirt back on, followed by his jacket. " _You_ did this. Three seconds of fun for you, but a lifetime reminder for me of what a terrible person you are."

Damien sat up, swinging his legs over the bed. "I was only a child! You can't expect-"

"This is why I cannot allow you to stay here. You're a monster who shows no remorse for what you did!"

Damien stood up, scowling, and Pip looked away as he realized the other was still only wearing his underwear. "I told you already, I'm not leaving. There's nowhere else for me to go. I understand that I've permanently hurt you, but now I'm here to fix things. Maybe if you weren't so stuck on the past, you'd give me a chance."

Pip took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Damien irritated him to no end; he didn't understand that what he'd done was unforgivable, and he refused to leave, even though Pip showed no interest in having his help. The blond opened his mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by his sister's voice calling from the other side of the door.

"What the hell is taking so long? You better be up, I swear to God! If you're not-"

"I'm coming now, Mrs. Joe!" Pip called. "Just getting dressed!" He rushed forward toward Damien, grabbing his arm to lead him to the closet. He gasped loudly and retracted his hand, however, when he felt how hot Damien was. "Get in the closet," he hissed, throwing open the door and ushering the antichrist inside. He shut the door just as Mrs. Joe slammed open the door to his bedroom.

"Get your ass down to the bus stop," she practically growled. "I'm not calling the school again if you miss the bus."

"Yes, ma'am, I'm going now." He bent down and grabbed his backpack, looking back at the closet door before moving past her and running down the stairs and out the front door. This was bad. Damien was in his house alone with Mrs. Joe. If she found out that he was there, there was no telling what she'd do to Pip. 'Please, Damien, please stay hidden,' he thought, frowning as the bus stop came into sight. He sighed in relief, however, as he noticed that Mason wasn't there. He was surprised when, minutes later, the bus pulled up and there were still no signs of his bully. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad of a school day. He only had to worry about what was going to happen to him when he got home.

Xxx

Damien kept quiet in darkness of the closet. He could hear that woman slamming things around Pip's room, and he slowly crept up the wall of the closet, perching himself on the ceiling in case she decided to fuck shit up in the closet as well. What a horrible woman she seemed to be. However, it was her attitude that had him keeping silent. He had a feeling she would not be very keen on letting him stay here should she open up the closet door and find him hiding there.

He remained this way for about twenty minutes, growing bored, when he finally heard her leave, slamming Pip's bedroom door behind him. He dropped down from the ceiling, landing on his feet silently. 'This is ridiculous,' he thought to himself. How was he going to live here if he couldn't even be seen? Not to mention how hostile Pip was being towards him.

Well, he wasn't going to be stuck in this damn closet all day. He did have a job to do. He opened the door, peeking out in case, for whatever reason, that crazy woman was still in the room. Noticing it was clear, he stepped out, immediately getting dressed before going to Pip's window and slipping out, letting himself fall down the several feet to the ground.

He straightened up and began to walk around the town, seeing if he could feel any strange energy. He explored the town, shivering slightly as he walked but not minding the cold. It sure beat the heat that enveloped Hell. It was nice up on Earth; very open and bright and not confining at all. He found a bench and decided he would sit there, admiring the quiet town. He picked up some snow and watched it melt in his hand, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

And then he felt it.

A feeling that something holy was near. He glanced around; the feeling wasn't strong enough, it couldn't be an angel. He watched as people came and went past him, busy with their errands and ignoring him. It wasn't until he saw a figure walking past, clad in all black save for a bit of white around his neck, that Damien discovered where the holy vibe was coming from.

It was a priest. Damien recognized him from when he'd come up to Earth with his father all those years ago. Father Maxi.

The priest walked past, and then stopped, turning his head slightly and giving Damien a squinted glace. The antichrist turned his head away, ignoring the man and hoping he would go away.

He didn't. Instead, Father Maxi approached the teen, stopping three feet from him. He opens his mouth to speak but us interrupted by a woman, who grabs both of his hands and begins gushing about how one of his services had changed her life. Damien uses this opportunity to disappear before Father Maxi can glance at him again.

He wanders around town for a few hours, looking at how it's changed since he'd last been here. There's new buildings and shops, and new people. It's become quite a busy little town. He doesn't sense any angelic forces, save for the lingering feel of Father Maxi's aura, though Damien isn't worried about him for now.

He grows hungry, but there's nothing he can do about that unless he wants to steal something. He's not that desperate yet, and he'd rather not draw attention to himself this early in his mission. He decides he'll wait until Pip comes home from school and force him to bring him food from the kitchen. With that in mind, he spends another few hours sitting by Stark's pong to think and admire the scenery before he heads back to the Pirrup's home on the poor side of town. He passes by Kenny's house and figures if Pip really does end up kicking him out that he could always stay there.

Damien scales up the side of Pip's house, peeking into the window to make sure that horrible woman Pip calls his sister isn't anywhere in sight. Seeing the room empty, he pushes open the window and crawls inside. To be safe, he sits in the closet and waits for Pip to arrive home.

He doesn't have to wait long. He can hear screaming downstairs, Pip's soft voice, and then footsteps up the stairs. He remains in the closet until he hears the bedroom door open and shut, and a soft sigh from Pip. The closet door opens, surprising Damien, and he looks up at Pip with a smirk. "Welcome home."

"Damien…" Pip stares down at him with a frown. He appears to be thinking about something.

"How was your day?" Damien asks, to distract the blond. The Brit shrugs.

"It was alright. No incidents. It was actually a rather nice day, and I was in a good mood until I came home." The antichrist frowns and opens his mouth to say something, but Pip cuts him off. "However, because I was in such a good mood, I did some thinking, and I've decided to let you stay."

Damien's eyebrows raise in surprise. He'd never planned on leaving anyway, even if the stupid Brit tried to kick him out, but if Pip was going to cooperate, it surely would make things a lot easier. "Really?"

"Yes." Pip steps back out of the closet to allow Damien to come out. The demon stands and stretches his cramped muscles, moving to sit on Pip's bed. The blond shoots him a look. "However, if I am to allow you to stay, there are a few rules that I'd appreciate if you followed."

Damien rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. "Fine, let's hear them."

Pip points to the corner where his hamper resides. "If you're going to be out of the closet, you're to stay in that corner." The antichrist scowls, glaring daggers at the blond.

"I'm not going to sit in the corner like some naughty child! There should be no problem with me sitting right here on your bed. Or anywhere else in the room! Why does it matter?"

The blond merely shoots Damien his own look, continuing to point. "If you'd like me to call Mrs. Joe up here, I should have no problem in explaining to her that you've snuck into my room and refuse to leave."

"I'll just hide," Damien argues, refusing to budge.

"Then maybe I'll advise her that my bedroom door should remain open at all times," Pip argues back. "I don't think you'd like staying in the closet for so long."

Damien practically growls, holding a staring contest with Pip before finally relenting, standing up from the blond's bed as if he didn't like sitting there anyway. He pushes past the Brit, brushing his shoulder roughly, and sits in the corner, face heating up a bit.

"Thank you, Damien," Pip says, smiling a little. "If Mrs. Joe happens to come in, I'd appreciate if you went back to the closet to hide."

"Obviously," the demon mutters.

Pip nods, looking at Damien uncertainly. "What did you do all day while I was at school?"

"I walked around town a bit. I sure as fuck wasn't going to stay in this hellhole all day."

The blond looks relieved. "That's good. I'd like if you could do that everyday while I'm gone."

"Whatever, is that all of your stupid rules? I'm fucking starving," Damien growls, refusing to make eye contact with the blond. Pip smiles.

"Dinner's not for another few hours, but I'll see if I can sneak you something up afterward," he says. He moves to sit down on his bed, pulling out his homework. He appears as though he's going to pretend Damien's not there, which doesn't bother the antichrist in the slightest. He just sits in his corner and thinks about his situation. Things aren't so bad, considering everything. He's secured his spot in this home; his father would be furious if he couldn't even manage that. Though Satan was a bit of a pussy when it came to certain aspects of his life, he had high expectations for Damien, and the consequences were harsh when he didn't meet them.

He'd literally be damned if he couldn't manage this little mission. Damien glanced at Pip, watching the blond writing in his notebook, tongue partially out in concentration. How annoying it was that part of his job was to make sure the kid didn't end up offing himself. Annoying, but it seemed to be doable. The Brit seemed pretty content right now.

"No bullies today?" Damien found himself asking, startling both himself and Pip, who seemed to have forgotten he was there.

"Mason was out ill from school today." He continued working on his homework, sparing Damien only a sideways glance.

"Mason? Is that who's kicking your ass now? Whatever happened to that fat ass kid?"

Pip sighed, trying to concentrate. "Oh, he's still around. Only really bothers me if I'm actively in his way. He's more concerned with his girlfriend, however, so I've not had much of a problem with-"

"He has a girlfriend?" Damien asks, completely floored. "How the fuck did that happen?"

Pip merely shrugs, moving his pencil across his page. "There's someone for everyone out there."

The antichrist rolls his eyes. "Honestly, Pip, you really believe that? I'm surprised someone like you would have faith in something so stupid."

"That's enough, Damien. Just because you don't personally believe in something doesn't mean it's stupid," Pip scolds. "Now please be quiet, I have to get this done before dinner."

The demon scowls, but decides he doesn't want to talk with Pip anymore, either. As long as the Brit's not talking about suicide, he really shouldn't need to have any conversations with him anyway. "Fine, I was only trying to get some information about you. You don't have to be a dick about it."

Pip only sighs, sparing another glance at Damien before continuing with his homework. He's not happy with the situation, but when have things ever gone his way? As long as his new guardian angel isn't caught by his sister or Joe, things shouldn't be too bad.

Dinner comes and goes, and Pip manages to bring up a roll for Damien. The antichrist seems extremely offended by the food, but eats it when Pip assures him that was all that was left.

"Fucking piece of shit poor house. He couldn't have put me anywhere else?" Damien mumbles under his breath, picking at the roll.

"I know it's not much, but it's all we have. Your father didn't leave you any money?"

Damien merely glares. "No, he didn't. It doesn't matter, though, because I'll just go steal something to eat in the morning."

"Damien!" Pip exclaims, but he can't say he hasn't thought about doing the same before. However, his morals always stop him. He could never take something he hadn't earned himself. What right did he have to steal something that someone else had worked hard for? "Damien, please don't. You can have my breakfast tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Fuck off, Pip," the antichrist growls after a moment's thought. "You're so pitiful, it's sad. I don't need your fucking handouts. I'm supposed to keep you alive, don't starve yourself trying to take care of some asshole who forced his way into your home."

"I…oh, alright, then…"

"This is why everyone always steps all over you, asshole." Damien stands up from his corner and walks into the closet. "I despise people like you," is the last thing he says before shutting the door, leaving Pip alone with his thoughts.


End file.
